Airtel Malawi in job cuts: 41 axed in ‘repositioning move’

Malawi leading telecommunications company Airtel has axed about 41 employees in what the management has described the move a repositioning business for next growth phase.

Kamoto: Airtel Malawi repositioning business

Airtel Malaiw staff face retrenchment

Inside sources have confided in Nyasa Times that amongst the retrenched staff are some top management officials both at the company’s headquarters and regional offices.

In a statement released on Friday and and signed by Airtel Malawi’s acting Manager Charles Kamoto, the company is embarking on a strategic restructuring exercise that will reposition the business and reinforce its competitiveness in the market place.

“The exercise, which is focused on aligning the company’s structure with its operating model, also entails a right-sizing that will impact a section of our current workforce.

“One of the key objectives is to create a high performing organization, which satisfies the needs of
all of our stakeholders, especially our customers, as we step into the next growth phase of our operation.

“Airtel is sensitive towards the affected staff and is committed to minimizing the impact of this exercise on the employees. As a way of helping the affected staff members during the transition, the Company is compensating better than what is prescribed by the prevailing laws,” reads part of the statement.

The affected employees, according to the statement, also have the opportunity to still be a part of the Airtel eco- system and they will be given the first option to re-join the company’s growing
distribution and agent’s network given their prior understanding of the Airtel brand and its systems.

“In addition, they will also have an opportunity to competitively apply for any future positions that come up. We wish to therefore assure all stakeholders that a robust plan has been put in place to
cushion the effect of the exercise on all employees,” said the statement.

Please tread carefully this time around. There is a pending issue in Supreme Court of Appeal which you already lost at the lower court. The issue involves those you retrenched a few years ago with a meagre package. How can you retrench someone and give hime or her K600,000 as a reward? Airtel is full of headless chickens. I hope Bridget Jumbe is no longer there. She was the masterminder of the previous retrenchment.